Do You Remember?

According to our issue for that

month. May, 1932 was a pretty

dull month. There was not even a

funny story to break the grey

monotony of planters, Administrators

and traders sitting dolorously wring

ing their hands at the gloomy eco

nomic picture. Neither did New

Guinea’s flourishing gold-mining in

dustry seem to make anyone happy.

It was just woe, woe, woe ...

Western Samoa had had about six years of what were called the “Mau troubles.” It was 2Vz years since the bloody clash between the Mau and Government which had resulted in the death of High Chief Tamasese and a dozen others. Someone writing in May ‘32 said, “Some officials have suggested that the Mau is dead. Not so. To-day it is passive, obstinate, useless—but 95 per cent, are still Mau and I suppose they will go on with it . . . No one in Samoa takes any real interest in native affairs or welfare, except to collect revenue or mete out the law.”

Those malaria cures! We reported with gusto: “Quinine for prevention is now replaced by a hew • synthetic compound called Plasmoquine which is of Contin ental origin . . . fqr preventive purposes, quinine should be discarded in its favour. If plasmoquine does all that is claimed for it, an attack of malaria may well be regardejd in the future as the result of carelessness.” ... • * ■; “■The Lieut.-Governor • of Papua. Sir Hubert Murray is op 10 months leave and will probably proceed to TLondon. It is thought, in semi-official quarters, that as he has now' celebrated his 70th birthdqy he is probably giving thought to retire ment at’ the end 6’f ; this leave period.”

(Sir Hubert was evidently of different opinion. He did not retire then but died, still in harness, in Samaraij in 1940).

A Fiji planter reader wrote: “Indian labour for the Solomons need not be viewed with apprehension. Fiji can be quoted, as a good: example of where the experiment of introduced Indian labour has been a success.

“While a good number now occupy a considerable area of crown land, others are storekeepers, engineers, motor car drivers. Think of all the extra revenue they represent in taxes, land rent, cus toms dues, to say nothing of income tax and residential tax of £1 per head!” * * * The first shipment of gold from Bulolo* Gold Dredging Ltd’s New Guinea property had arrived in Sydney. It amounted to 640 ozs. * ❖ The copra market, we reported, was lifeless and dull. London price w r as about £14/10/- per ton—a fall of £3 since the previous February. And the London price of rubber was three and seven-eighths pence a pound for the best para and less than 2d for plantation smoked. (In May 1952 there is something near to calamity in Malaya where the • price has fallen ■ to about 3/7 Vz per pound). ❖ ❖ * However, if Island. produce prices were' low, planters could comfort themselves i that Other prices corresponded. If they could scrape together the boat fare to Sycfney they could live for about 15/- per day.'v&ne of Sydney’s leading pubs adver tised itJia-t rooms with running H. &• C.i telephone and reading light were 7/- per night; breakfast 3/-, luncheon . 2/- and.. dihheV B/-: What' was more, a uniformed jjnet all boats. ' Those were -the ■ days before Liquor Inquiries and wheij the customer was sometimes right.